Exploratory hydrocarbon drilling impacts to Arctic lake ecosystems.
Recent attention regarding the impacts of oil and gas development and exploitation has focused on the unintentional release of hydrocarbons into the environment, whilst the potential negative effects of other possible avenues of environmental contamination are less well documented. In the hydrocarbo...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:7a8f6640ba49473289e0a5a9f5a2619f 2023-05-15T15:11:37+02:00 Exploratory hydrocarbon drilling impacts to Arctic lake ecosystems. Joshua R Thienpont Steven V Kokelj Jennifer B Korosi Elisa S Cheng Cyndy Desjardins Linda E Kimpe Jules M Blais Michael F J Pisaric John P Smol 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078875 https://doaj.org/article/7a8f6640ba49473289e0a5a9f5a2619f EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3819393?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0078875 https://doaj.org/article/7a8f6640ba49473289e0a5a9f5a2619f PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 11, p e78875 (2013) Medicine R Science Q article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078875 2022-12-31T12:19:42Z Recent attention regarding the impacts of oil and gas development and exploitation has focused on the unintentional release of hydrocarbons into the environment, whilst the potential negative effects of other possible avenues of environmental contamination are less well documented. In the hydrocarbon-rich and ecologically sensitive Mackenzie Delta region (NT, Canada), saline wastes associated with hydrocarbon exploration have typically been disposed of in drilling sumps (i.e., large pits excavated into the permafrost) that were believed to be a permanent containment solution. However, failure of permafrost as a waste containment medium may cause impacts to lakes in this sensitive environment. Here, we examine the effects of degrading drilling sumps on water quality by combining paleolimnological approaches with the analysis of an extensive present-day water chemistry dataset. This dataset includes lakes believed to have been impacted by saline drilling fluids leaching from drilling sumps, lakes with no visible disturbances, and lakes impacted by significant, naturally occurring permafrost thaw in the form of retrogressive thaw slumps. We show that lakes impacted by compromised drilling sumps have significantly elevated lakewater conductivity levels compared to control sites. Chloride levels are particularly elevated in sump-impacted lakes relative to all other lakes included in the survey. Paleolimnological analyses showed that invertebrate assemblages appear to have responded to the leaching of drilling wastes by a discernible increase in a taxon known to be tolerant of elevated conductivity coincident with the timing of sump construction. This suggests construction and abandonment techniques at, or soon after, sump establishment may result in impacts to downstream aquatic ecosystems. With hydrocarbon development in the north predicted to expand in the coming decades, the use of sumps must be examined in light of the threat of accelerated permafrost thaw, and the potential for these industrial wastes to impact ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Mackenzie Delta permafrost Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Canada Mackenzie Delta ENVELOPE(-136.672,-136.672,68.833,68.833) Arctic Lake ENVELOPE(-130.826,-130.826,57.231,57.231) PLoS ONE 8 11 e78875 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Medicine R Science Q |
spellingShingle |
Medicine R Science Q Joshua R Thienpont Steven V Kokelj Jennifer B Korosi Elisa S Cheng Cyndy Desjardins Linda E Kimpe Jules M Blais Michael F J Pisaric John P Smol Exploratory hydrocarbon drilling impacts to Arctic lake ecosystems. |
topic_facet |
Medicine R Science Q |
description |
Recent attention regarding the impacts of oil and gas development and exploitation has focused on the unintentional release of hydrocarbons into the environment, whilst the potential negative effects of other possible avenues of environmental contamination are less well documented. In the hydrocarbon-rich and ecologically sensitive Mackenzie Delta region (NT, Canada), saline wastes associated with hydrocarbon exploration have typically been disposed of in drilling sumps (i.e., large pits excavated into the permafrost) that were believed to be a permanent containment solution. However, failure of permafrost as a waste containment medium may cause impacts to lakes in this sensitive environment. Here, we examine the effects of degrading drilling sumps on water quality by combining paleolimnological approaches with the analysis of an extensive present-day water chemistry dataset. This dataset includes lakes believed to have been impacted by saline drilling fluids leaching from drilling sumps, lakes with no visible disturbances, and lakes impacted by significant, naturally occurring permafrost thaw in the form of retrogressive thaw slumps. We show that lakes impacted by compromised drilling sumps have significantly elevated lakewater conductivity levels compared to control sites. Chloride levels are particularly elevated in sump-impacted lakes relative to all other lakes included in the survey. Paleolimnological analyses showed that invertebrate assemblages appear to have responded to the leaching of drilling wastes by a discernible increase in a taxon known to be tolerant of elevated conductivity coincident with the timing of sump construction. This suggests construction and abandonment techniques at, or soon after, sump establishment may result in impacts to downstream aquatic ecosystems. With hydrocarbon development in the north predicted to expand in the coming decades, the use of sumps must be examined in light of the threat of accelerated permafrost thaw, and the potential for these industrial wastes to impact ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Joshua R Thienpont Steven V Kokelj Jennifer B Korosi Elisa S Cheng Cyndy Desjardins Linda E Kimpe Jules M Blais Michael F J Pisaric John P Smol |
author_facet |
Joshua R Thienpont Steven V Kokelj Jennifer B Korosi Elisa S Cheng Cyndy Desjardins Linda E Kimpe Jules M Blais Michael F J Pisaric John P Smol |
author_sort |
Joshua R Thienpont |
title |
Exploratory hydrocarbon drilling impacts to Arctic lake ecosystems. |
title_short |
Exploratory hydrocarbon drilling impacts to Arctic lake ecosystems. |
title_full |
Exploratory hydrocarbon drilling impacts to Arctic lake ecosystems. |
title_fullStr |
Exploratory hydrocarbon drilling impacts to Arctic lake ecosystems. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Exploratory hydrocarbon drilling impacts to Arctic lake ecosystems. |
title_sort |
exploratory hydrocarbon drilling impacts to arctic lake ecosystems. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078875 https://doaj.org/article/7a8f6640ba49473289e0a5a9f5a2619f |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-136.672,-136.672,68.833,68.833) ENVELOPE(-130.826,-130.826,57.231,57.231) |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Mackenzie Delta Arctic Lake |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Mackenzie Delta Arctic Lake |
genre |
Arctic Mackenzie Delta permafrost |
genre_facet |
Arctic Mackenzie Delta permafrost |
op_source |
PLoS ONE, Vol 8, Iss 11, p e78875 (2013) |
op_relation |
http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3819393?pdf=render https://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203 1932-6203 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0078875 https://doaj.org/article/7a8f6640ba49473289e0a5a9f5a2619f |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078875 |
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PLoS ONE |
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8 |
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11 |
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